Idaho Clocks Set Back on Halloween Night

Idaho will observe the change from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time at 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 31. The state moves its clocks back one hour during this transition, which coincides with the night before Halloween.

Residents will effectively gain an hour of sleep if they are in bed at the time of the switch. However, workers in the service and nightlife sectors will experience a one-hour extension of their workday. When the clock strikes 2:00 a.m., it will reset to 1:00 a.m., meaning that the period between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. will occur twice.

The shift alters daily light patterns across the state. In the Boise area, the sunset time will jump to 5:33 p.m. immediately after the change. Following this adjustment, the length of the day will continue to decrease until the winter solstice, which occurs shortly before Christmas.

State legislators have previously considered eliminating the practice of changing clocks twice a year. During the legislative session last year, a house bill proposed exempting Idaho from the spring time change, a move that would align the state with Arizona. Arizona currently remains on Standard Time year-round and does not switch to Daylight Saving Time. The bill did not pass and the state will proceed with the biannual time adjustment as scheduled.

The end of the current daylight period follows a summer where sunset times in Idaho reached as late as 9:00 p.m. or later. Since that peak, local estimates indicate the state has lost approximately three minutes of daylight per day.

The change takes effect across all of Idaho on Saturday. The state observes Daylight Saving Time from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November. This weekend's shift marks the final change for the current year.